Buddha’s Message Of Unity, Compassion Is Like A Balm Amid COVID-19 UN Commemorates Vesak Day

Buddhists the world over contemplate Vesak, the day of full moon in May, as most sacred.

United Nations:

The United Nations commemorated International Day of Vesak, which marks the start, enlightenment and passing of Lord Buddha. This 12 months it was on May 7, however because of the COVID-19 pandemic it was pushed again. Buddha’s message of solidarity and repair to others is extra essential than ever, UN chief Antonio Guterres mentioned on Thursday, including that solely world cooperation can take care of the horrible financial and social fallout of the pandemic.

“It is only by combining our energies and expertise that we can address the tremendous fragilities in our world today. Only through international cooperation will we ease the economic and social consequences of the crisis, which are pervasive, but place particular burden on the world’s most vulnerable people,” Mr Guterres mentioned.

The UN chief mentioned that it is just by constructing bridges “we will recover and build a healthier, more inclusive, sustainable, resilient and equitable world”.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti mentioned, “We now, more than ever, should remember the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, which teach us to bring the cycle of suffering to an end. The Buddha said ‘no one saves us but ourselves.” Mr Tirumurti was talking on the digital commemoration of the occasion. Sri Lanka and Thailand had been additionally among the many international locations that participated. Mr Tirumurti recalled the event when he had overseen the making and gifting of a reproduction of the Buddha of Sarnath to Sri Lanka.

“We are facing a global health crisis unlike any other in the 75-year history of the United Nations and it affects all of us. In times of great anxiety, faith can be a significant source of comfort and community resilience,” President of the General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande mentioned. The Buddhist educating of “give, even if you have a little”, can act as a balm for these grappling with the pandemic.

Millions of Buddhists the world over contemplate Vesak, the day of full moon in May, as most sacred. It was on the Day of Vesak, within the 12 months 623 B.C., that the Buddha was born. It was additionally on at the present time that the Buddha attained enlightenment and handed away in his 80th 12 months. In 1999, it grew to become a UN-designated day, to acknowledge the contribution of Buddhism to society.